The invention pertains to the general field of relatively flat, resilient covers used for bed sheets or to cover an agricultural parcel and more particularly, to a cover that includes a means for supplying an air flow under the cover which maintains a person(s) or a produce under the cover at a selectable temperature.
Every human being must sleep, that is a naturally accepted fact. The quantity and quality of sleep that a person experiences various greatly, though ever since people realized that sleep was inevitable there have been attempts made to improve upon the conditions under which we sleep. One of the most obvious conditions that affects our sleep is the environment. For anyone who has ever slept outdoors it is readily obvious how much sleep is governed by the ambient temperature, living conditions, illumination, etc., In colder regions people sleeping outdoors and indoors have become used to the practice of maintaining some type of heat as well as utilizing multiple layers of covering. People who reside in temperate or even warm regions have discovered what many feel is a more difficult dilemma.
As it gets colder, heat may be increased or coverings added, but, as it gets hotter, there is a limit to how much can be removed. Unless a person resides in a year-round, climate-controlled environment, which can become very expensive to maintain, there have been attempts to solve the problem of sleeping, or even resting during hot weather. The most obvious and widely used solution has been a fan. In addition to providing a degree of cooler air, the actual air flow has been shown to be soothing on a person""s skin.
Unfortunately, unless a fan is placed literally inches away from a person, a great amount of air is blown into areas where it is not needed. Once the air exits from the fan""s blades it disperses very rapidly. What is needed is a means of controlling and directing air flow over a specific area. In this manner much less air would be needed for its purpose. Additionally, a controlled and contained air flow could be used for a variety of purposes other than sleeping, such as regulating the temperature on agricultural lands, thus protecting crops from damage.
If desired, a fan could be utilized with a heating element that would then allow both heated or cooler air to be dispersed over a specific area.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention however, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,120 discloses a bed ventilator which includes an electric axial flow fan for moving air between a mattress and a bed cover thereon. The fan and duct work is mounted on a flat support tongue extended beneath the mattress and sandwiched between the mattress and its supporting bed structure such as a box spring. The duct work includes telescopic duct sections adjustable to accommodate mattresses of different thickness. Locking screws are provided for securing a selected telescopic relation between the duct sections for a particular mattress involved.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,441 discloses a blanket for use with forced air convection systems. The blanket includes an airflow deflector internal to the blanket and located near the air inlet port of the blanket. By providing a blanket with an airflow deflector better distribution of air within the confines of the blanket may be achieved, which helps to reduce and eliminate problems associated with hot and cold spots within the blanket.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,388 discloses a cooling cover having an air inflatable paid which is positioned within a pocket of a coverlet. The pad is formed of air impermeable material and has plenum chambers at opposite ends thereof, and a plurality of individual longitudinally extending passages which extend between the plenum chambers. Air orifices of a non-uniform pattern in the lower rounded surfaces of the inflatable paid direct cooling air in a plurality of small air jets onto the body of a user of the cooling cover. A source of cool air is connected to an inlet to deliver cool air to the pad.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
In its most basic design, the air-flow containment and distribution assembly is comprised of means for creating a selectable air flow; a cover adapted to be placed over a substantially flat area having a front edge, a rear edge, a right edge and a left edge, at least one air duct opening located proximal to one of the edges of the cover; and means for applying the air flow into the at least one air duct, wherein the air flows into the cover and vents out from at least one of the edges of the cover.
In view of the above disclosure, the primary object of the invention is to provide a means by which a person can apply air over a substantially flat surface, such as a bed or an agricultural parcel.
Another object of the invention is to provide air that may be heated or remain at the ambient temperature, depending on the particular application that is being used.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a more economical means of altering the temperature of a selected area. Instead of dispersing the air everywhere, the air can be directed over a specific location.
Yet another object of the invention is to allow a selectable quantity of air to be dispersed over a specific area.
Another object of the invention is to provide an alternative environment for sleeping, when the invention is used on a bed. Instead of simple sleeping under sheets, with or without a conventional fan blowing, the invention provides a unique environment which allows for better sleeping conditions.
In addition to these objects of the invention, it is also the object of the invention to provide an air-flow containment and distribution assembly that is:
a relief on hot summer nights,
can be used in conjunction with aroma therapy,
a relief to individuals with sunburned skin or those who have skin irritation, rashes, fevers and night sweats,
beneficial for people who sleep during the day,
is cost effective from both a consumers and manufacturers point of view.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.